Method of improving sound quality of a musical instrument

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for artificially aging a musical instrument is provided. The apparatus and method include oscillating the sound board of the instrument by an energy source at specific frequencies over the playing frequency range of the instrument.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for conditioning a musical instrument, comprising:
 providing a musical instrument; 
 coupling one or more energy sources to a sound board of the musical instrument; and 
 inducing oscillations of a discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument in a sound forming surface of the musical instrument. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy sources are directly coupled to the musical instrument. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy sources are indirectly coupled via air by placement proximate to the musical instrument. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy sources are interface coupled to the musical instrument. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the energy source is selected from the group consisting of mechanical, electromechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic oscillators. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein inducing oscillations further comprises the one or more coupled energy sources inducing oscillations into the musical instrument at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy source inputs energy of between about 0.01 joule/meter 2  to about 500 joule/meter 2  at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more energy source inputs energy of between about 10 joule/meter 2  to about 300 joule/meter 2  at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the energy is input to the instrument for about 5 to about 30 seconds at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a coupling placement of the one or more energy sources to maximize oscillation of the sound board for a specific semitone frequency of the instrument. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the musical instrument is a guitar. 
     
     
       12. A musical instrument conditioned by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       13. An apparatus for conditioning a musical instrument, comprising:
 one or more energy sources; 
 wherein the one or more energy sources are configured to induce oscillations of a discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument at a selected location on a sound forming surface of the musical instrument. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more energy sources are configured to be directly coupled to the musical instrument. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more energy sources are configured to be indirectly coupled via air by placement proximate to the musical instrument. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more energy sources are configured to be interface coupled to the musical instrument. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the energy source is selected from the group consisting of mechanical, electromechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic oscillators. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more energy sources are configured to induce oscillations into the musical instrument at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more energy sources are configured to input energy of between about 0.01 joule/meter 2  to about 500 joule/meter 2  at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more energy source inputs energy of between about 10 joule/meter 2  to about 300 joule/meter 2  at each discrete semitone frequency of the musical instrument.